


Child Not My Own

by therunawaypen



Series: 00Q Tumblr Prompt Fills [10]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies), Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: Childhood, F/M, Family, Father Figures, Graduation, Growing Up, M/M, Parenthood, Romance, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-07
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2017-12-28 16:02:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/993843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therunawaypen/pseuds/therunawaypen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James and Q never had children of their own, but that didn't stop the girl from the apartment next to theirs worming her way into their hearts</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For anon on Tumblr:
> 
> "Bond and Q are childless. However a young girl with parents who work long hours lives next door. Bond and Q are like surrogate dads."

 

The topic of children had come up on more than just one occasion. Both James and Q wanted a family, but they also both knew that their high risk jobs just wouldn’t allow for it. Not that either of them would want to put an innocent child at risk by giving them the last name Bond.

 

But still, having a child to love did sound wonderful at times…

 

So when Q first met Oliva, sniffling outside her apartment door, his heart went out to her.

 

“What’s wrong?” He asked her, pausing outside his own apartment right next door. He was tired from working 30 hours straight, but he still couldn’t help but reach out to the child.

 

“I forgot my key…” She sniffed, wiping her eyes furiously, “I can’t get in until my parents get home tonight..”

 

Q sighed, looking at his own door. Well, there wasn’t anything classified inside, “Why don’t you come inside and wait for your parents to come home?”

 

She looked hesitant.

 

“I’ll keep the front door open.” Q reassured her, “Besides, I’m most likely going to sleep the entire time anyway.” He smiled softly, opening the door.

 

After a moment, she made her way to him, “What’s your name?”

 

Q told her, but quickly added, “—but most people call me Q. Even my husband.” He walked into his apartment with the small girl on his heels, “What’s your name?”

 

“Olivia.” She nodded slowly, looking around the apartment.

 

Despite what he said, Q didn’t sleep at all while Olivia was with him. Instead, he spent the entire time talking to her about her family, friends, her classes at school, and even helping her with her homework. By the time her parents did arrive home, she was reluctant to leave.

 

Q was reluctant to let her go.

 

Olivia began to “forget” her key quite often, knocking on Q and James’s door with increasing frequency. James was startled to see the child the first time he opened the door and saw her, but he quickly warmed up to her. And if Q saw James watching Disney movies with her in their living room, he didn’t mention it.

 

Soon enough, James and Q began to expect Olivia whenever they were home. The child seemed to have a sense of when they were actually home or not.

 

The weeks became months, which then began to roll into years of the same patterns. Soon, Q and James couldn’t describe Olivia as a child: she was growing too fast. But that didn’t stop her from loving her.

 

Q never hesitated to help her with her homework, no matter how tired he was from work. He pushed her to keep her grades up, that she was capable of doing it.

 

Even when James came back from a mission battered and wounded, he never hesitated to play games or watch movies with her. He was the one who taught her the basics of self defense.

 

It was Q who made an awkward run to the store when Olivia admitted that she was bleeding during one of her visits.

 

It was James who helped her get ready for her first school dance.

 

It was Q who she confided in about her first crush.

 

It was James who sat her down one day and explained to her that she was _beautiful_ , and that no boy or man had the right to treat her with anything but respect.

 

Before either of them knew it, they had poured their hearts into this little girl turned young woman, and they had fallen completely in loved with a child not their own.

 

When she came screaming into their apartment, waving an acceptance letter from her favorite university, they celebrated by taking her to her favorite restaurant.

 

When she showed up at her door, heartbroken because her long time boyfriend had dumped her for another girl, they had spend the entire night watching movies with her while eating entire pints of ice cream.

 

When the notice for her graduation arrived in the mail, Q almost cried.

 

When the notice for her University graduation arrived in the mail, Q did cry.

 

When the invitation to her wedding arrived in the mail, James cried.

 

Olivia had insisted that they be seated with the rest of her family for the ceremony. Neither Q or James could keep a dry eye as they watched their little girl walk into another man’s arms and take his name.

 

She surprised them both at the reception when, after her first dance with her husband, she dragged them both out to the dance floor, taking turns dancing with them both.

 

“How could I possibly miss dancing with the men who raised me?” She told them.


	2. James's Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James wasn't always fond of Olivia, he thought she was going to break Q's heart. So how did she find a way into the 00 agent's heart?

The kid was going to break Q’s heart, James was sure of it.

James knew that Q wished they could have a family of their own, hell, _James_ wished for the same damn thing at times. But letting this little girl walk into their lives and walk all over Q’s heart was only going to end in tears.

So when James woke in the middle of the night (in an empty bed no less, Q was working) to the sound of the doorbell ringing, he was not in a good mood. He was grumbling all the way to the door when he opened it.

He was _sure_ it was two in the morning, not two in the afternoon; so there was no reason for a little girl in braided pigtails to be standing on his welcome mat.

She looked just as surprised to see him as he was to see her, “Um, hello Mr. Bond…” She was gripping one of her braids tightly, trying to look anywhere but at James, “Is Mr. Q home?”

“Q’s working.” James replied, well, _grunted_. He was still half asleep, “Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

So James wasn’t a genius when it came to kids. He knew exactly how to handle women…just not the tiny ones.

 “I…I had a nightmare.” She admitted, looking at her feet.

James blinked, watching her. Then his mind caught up with the situation, “Where the hell are your parents?”

Alright, so maybe not all the way caught up. And perhaps he wasn’t at his most eloquent, but this _was_ the child who was going to break his husband’s heart.

“They got called in to work.” Olivia nodded, looking up at him

James opened his mouth to demand what kind of job her parents had to leave their child in the middle of the night, then promptly shut his mouth. _He_ certainly had no right to judge based on his own employment.

Then he saw the look in Olivia’s eyes. Big green eyes framed by dark lashes, but were red and puffy, not to mention shining from a thin sheen of unshed tears.

 _God dammnit…_ James let out a long sigh, “Why don’t you come in for a bit? At least until you’ve calmed down enough to go back to sleep?”

It was all the invitation Olivia needed to bolt into apartment, making a beeline for Q’s spot on the couch, curling up with one of the throw pillows.

“Um, do you want anything to drink?” James rubbed sleep from his eyes as he shut the door to the apartment. He could really go for a strong drink in that moment, but he wasn’t about to offer cognac to a child. He wasn’t _that_ inept, “Do you drink tea?”

The child looked at him from the couch, “Do you have any cocoa?”

 _Cocoa…_ Why couldn’t she have just asked for a cup of Earl Grey? He _knew_ they had that, Q basically had the stuff on a drip. But where the hell was he supposed to get cocoa? “Let me check…” He grumbled, heading into the kitchen.

Q’s tablet was on the counter, so James made a quick search on Google for cocoa. There were several recipes listed. Seems simple enough _,_ he mused, grabbing cocoa powder, sugar, and milk from the kitchen, it wasn’t a hard recipe at all.

Not even ten minutes later, he had two mugs of cocoa ready for consumption (because hey, if he had to make it, he sure as hell was going to try some).

“Here you go, kid.” James handed a mug to Olivia as he sat on the other side of the couch, “Careful, it’s hot.”

“My name is Olivia, Mr. Bond.” She nodded, taking a sip of her cocoa, “Mmm, this is way better than anything Mommy makes.”

James made a noncommittal noise in his throat, drinking his cocoa. Reluctantly, he had to agree that the stuff wasn’t half bad, even if there was no cognac.

They sat in silence while they drank their cocoa. James knew from experience that talking about nightmares didn’t always make it better, and _he_ sure as hell wasn’t going to pry into a child’s mind.

“Thanks.”

Turning to look at Olivia, James blinked, “For what?”

“For not making me talk about the monsters.” Olivia gripped her mug tightly, “Mommy always asks me about it, and then I have to remember them all over again.”

James was _not_ qualified to pass judgment on a woman he had never met, or her parenting skills, “Sometimes people want to help, even when they don’t know how.” He mumbled, “Sometimes they can make it worse.”

It was then he realized the child was staring at him now. The look in her eyes was unfamiliar, James didn’t know what it was or how to deal with it. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat, “Why don’t I put on a movie? Would that help you calm down?”

At Olivia’s nod, James got up and looked at his and Q’s collection of movies. And seeing the complete and utter lack of children friendly movies (the last thing she would need to watch was _Kill Bill_ ), James knew he would have to improvise. What did kids like? James remembered he liked his fairytales as a child. Quickly he looked over the collection for anything resembling that…

“Hey Ki—er, Olivia?” James cleared his throat, “You know the story of Cinderella, right?”

“Of course I do.” Her small voice answered him, “Why wouldn’t I?”

James rolled his eyes, glad his back was to her, “Well I have Cinderella here, but there all no words, it’s all told through dance.”

“I like dance…” She admitted, “Sounds like fun!”

James nodded, putting the DVD in and walking to the couch. How the hell did he get himself into these situations: sitting with a child in the middle of the night, watching the Russian Ballet’s rendition of _Cinderella_? This wasn’t his thing…

If said child had climbed into his lap before the intermission, he didn’t say anything.

***

Q was tired from his shift at MI6, he was looking forward to curling up in bed (hopefully in his husband’s arms).

So when he came into the apartment, and saw the back of James’s head, leaned back over their couch in an awkward position, he was alarmed. Immediately, his mind filled with scenarios of assassins that had caught James off guard and left his body for him to find, and he _desperately_ wished he had a firearm with him.

Then he heard the deep rumble of James’s snoring, and his heart fell into his usual pattern. So James had fallen asleep on the couch…not a usual habit for him. And with the television on, no less. Curiosity piqued, Q approached his husband. As he rounded the end of the couch, he could see the two empty mugs on the coffee table.

More importantly, he could see Olivia curled up in James’s lap, with the 00 agent’s arms wrapped tightly around her.

Q smiled softly, sitting beside them on the couch as he watched them both.

The movement triggered James to wake, opening his eyes before he moved a muscle. Seeing Q beside him, he relaxed. Their eyes met for a moment before they both looked at Olivia. She looked so small and fragile in James’s arms. But then again, she probably _was_ small and fragile in James’s arms.

Q knew that James would never admit it out loud, but he knew the look James got when someone had managed to worm their way into his heart.

After all, it wasn’t every day 007 fell in love: man, woman, or child.


	3. The Parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by entangledwood on Tumblr!

“Honey, did you finish your homework?”

“Yes Mum. Mr. Q helped me with it.”

It had been the third time Olivia had mentioned a Mr. Q, and frankly, Mrs. Chase was worried her little girl might be relapsing into the imaginary friend stage.

It was hard raising a child when both she and her husband were both on call 24/7, but Olivia was old enough to mind herself…at least, that’s what she convinced herself. She felt guilty for the long hours she and her husband worked, but what else could they do? They needed the money. Now, she only hoped she wasn’t damaging her daughter.

“I see…” She smoothed Olivia’s braids, “Do you talk to Mr. Q often?”

Olivia nodded, blonde braids swinging, “I try and visit every time he’s home from work.”

Mrs. Chase looked at her husband as Olivia went off to her room to play, “Has Olivia told you about this Mr. Q?”

Her husband looked up from the numerous files he was working on the kitchen table, “You mean our next do neighbor? Yeah.” He nodded, “Olivia locked herself out once, and she stayed with him until I got home from work.”

So he wasn’t imaginary. There was a small relief there. But her baby girl was still spending a lot of time with someone she didn’t know, “So…what do you think of him?”

“Q?” Mr. Chase raised an eyebrow, taking a long drink of coffee, “He’s a brilliant sort of lad, probably works in engineering or something like that. His husband seems on the up and up as well.”

“Husband?” Mrs. Chase blinked. That was…unexpected.

Mr. Chase shrugged, “Kids these days. Granted, James, Q’s husband, isn’t much of a kid, closer to our age actually. They look like an unlikely couple, but apparently they’ve been together for a few years now”

Mrs. Chase nodded, sitting by her husband. There was certainly nothing _wrong_ with the husbands, she just wish she had _met_ them before her daughter had become obsessed with them. “So you don’t mind Olivia spending so much time with them?”

“Julie, we can work 20 hour days sometimes.” Her husband sighed, “I would much rather Olivia stay with the neighbors than in the apartment all alone.” He took her hand, “Besides, they adore her.”

“Really?” Julie raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah.” Mr. Chase removed his glasses, “I remember once I came home after graveyard shift, and Olivia wasn’t home. I was about to panic and call the police when Q knocked on our door. He took me over to their place, where Olivia was fast asleep on their couch. James explained that he had been home that night and that Olivia had knocked on their door because of a nightmare. James stayed up with her, made her cocoa, and even watched movies with her until she fell asleep.”

Julie looked down at her hands. Part of her felt guilty for leaving her baby all alone when she still suffered from nightmares, she was still a child. Another part of her was grateful that there was _someone_ for Olivia to run to.

She sighed, “I suppose one of these days, I’ll have to meet them and thank them…for everything.”

“Mhm…” Mr. Chase was already focusing on his files. Julie rolled her eyes, going back to Olivia’s room.

Olivia, oblivious to the conversation, was playing contently with her dolls. When she saw her mother watching her, she smiled, “Hey Mum! Wanna play?”

Julie smiled softly, sitting by her daughter, “Sure thing, darling.” She kissed her temple, “While we play, why don’t you tell me a bit more about Mr. Q and Mr. James?”


	4. The Dance

“I need your help!”

James quickly hid his gun under his bed as the front door to the apartment opened and shut. He really needed to stop bringing his work home with him, _especially_ when Olivia had stopped knocking on their door and opted to simply come in (he suspected Q might have made a key for her as well, but couldn’t prove it).

Before Olivia could wander towards the bedroom, James walked out to greet her, “And good afternoon to you Olivia. What did you need help with?”

The moment he saw Olivia, her blond hair done up in curlers, and a long garment bag in her arms, James knew he was in trouble.

“…are you going to a wedding?” He tried.

Olivia rolled her eyes, “I have a dance tonight, and Nathan is picking me up at seven tonight!”

James blinked, the gears in his mind catching up with the conversation, “Who?”

“ _Nathan,_ my _date._ ” Olivia sounded exasperated, “Keep up James!”

“You aren’t old enough to date yet!” James blurted, staring at Olivia. This was the little girl who watched the Russian ballet with him when she had nightmares, she wasn’t ready to _date_ yet.

Olivia put her hands on her hips, “James, I’m sixteen!  Or did you not notice the fact I have breasts now?” To prove her point, she reached up and cupped her chest.

James, the unshakeable 00 agent, blushed furiously, “We are _not_ talking about that!” He shook his head, “So what do you need help with?”

The teen rolled her eyes, “I have a big date in a few hours, and I need my gay uncles to make me look fabulous!”

James could almost feel his eye twitch, “Olivia, just because Q and I are gay doesn’t mean we’re any good at this…”

“Oh shut up, you know you’re going to help me, James, so stop arguing.” Olivia laid her dress on the kitchen table, “Now come on!”

It was a futile fight, and they both knew it. Before James had realized what had happened, he was trying to pin Olivia’s curled hair into a fancy up do. If the other 00 agents could see him now…they’d never let him live it down.

“Ouch!”

“I didn’t even hurt you!”

“Watch where you’re aiming that bobby pin!”

“Stop squirming!”

When James had _finally_ managed to get Olivia’s hair to match the picture she brought, he made sure to douse it with plenty of hair spray. That hair was going _nowhere_ …he just hoped Olivia wouldn’t be by any open flames anytime soon.

“So where’s Q?” Olivia asked as she laid out her make up on the table, getting a mirror from the bathroom.

“He’s in the bedroom.” James chuckled, “Sleeping off a 40 hour shift.”

Olivia stared at him, “Damn he must be tired…he didn’t even wake up after all the screaming we did.”

That made James snort, “Yeah, well keep it up and you might just wake the beast.”

“I heard that.”

Both James and Olivia turned to look at Q, who was leaning against the doorframe and sporting some impressive bed head, “What’s going on here?” He asked, rubbing his tired eyes.

Olivia smiled, “Nathan’s taking me to the dance tonight!”

Q’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, “That’s _tonight?_ He asked you?” He ran across the room, hugging Olivia tightly, “Why didn’t you wake me sooner? We have work to do!”

“Wait, you knew about this?” James frowned, looking from Olivia to Q.

Q chuckled, “Only that Olivia has had the biggest crush on this Nathan boy since the beginning of the school year! This is so exciting!” He smiled, “Let’s see your dress!”

Olivia giggled, unzipping the garment bag so James and Q could get a good look at her dress for the evening.

Unfortunately, James’s frown only worsened, “Part of the dress is missing.”

“Um…no it’s not.” Olivia chuckled.

“There’s no back to the dress.” James deadpanned, looking at the dress in question.

The teen smiled, “Well it _is_ a backless dress.”

“You’re not leaving the house in that.”

Q rolled his eyes, “Yes, she is James.” He smiled to Olivia, “Go and change, sweetie.”

Olivia smiled, taking the dress into the bathroom so she could change. After the door had shut, Q looked at James, “Well look who’s turning into a papa bear.” He teased, “‘ _You’re not leaving the house in that.’”_ He added, imitating James’s voice.

James sighed, “She can’t be going on dates already, can she?” He rubbed his temples.

“Hard to believe, huh?” Q smiled softly, “Just yesterday, you were making her hot chocolate and watching Cinderella with her.”

“That _was_ yesterday.” James defended, then groaned, “Why is this so hard?”

“Probably because we watched her grow up and love her just as much as if she were our own.” Q nodded, sitting in James’s lap, “But don’t worry, she’ll always be our little girl.”

James rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around Q’s waist, “Technically, she isn’t ours to begin with, Q.” he kissed the back of his husband’s neck, “But I get what you mean.”

Q smiled softly, relaxing into James’s arms, “She’s still more of a family than either of us ever imagined we could ever have…”

The two sat in silence, contemplating the years in which they watched Olivia grow from the curious and lonely child to a strong and outspoken young woman she was today.

“Am I interrupting you two?”

The two MI6 employees turned their attention to the doorway, where Olivia was watching them. The gown, James reluctantly admitted to himself, was lovely on her. The shade of green complimented her complexion and the cut was flattering (and, to his relief, none too scandalous).

“Well?” She smiled, spinning slowly to show off her attire. James could hear the quick clicking of her heels on the kitchen tiles and wondered when she had started wearing them. When he saw the back (or lack thereof) of the dress, he had to admit that it wasn’t as bad as he had feared.

It didn’t mean he had to like it though.

“You look beautiful, Olivia.” Q smiled, giving her a tight hug, “Nathan won’t know what hit him.”

“And,” James added, “if he tries something funny, you know _exactly_ where to hit him.”

Hey, just because Olivia was going on a date, didn’t mean James couldn’t impart some _real_ wisdom. For her benefit of course.


	5. The Date

Olivia was a panicked mess, pacing the flat in her gown, “When do you think he’ll get here?”

“Didn’t you tell me he would pick you up at seven?” James sighed, sitting in a kitchen chair.

It was barely 7:13, but Olivia was already worried she had been stood up.

Q made Olivia a cup of hot cocoa, sitting her at the table so she could drink it, “Olivia, I’m sure he’s just running a bit late.”

Poor Olivia, all nerves and excitement, was barely keeping herself together, “What if he had second thoughts? What if he got into an accident? What if—”

“Shh…” James raised his hand, “I heard something.”

Olivia managed to calm herself enough to allow silence to settle over the flat. There was a muted tapping sound. It sounded distant, like it was coming from—

“Oh shit, he’s been there the entire time!” Q  stood up. How easily they forgot that Olivia actually lived in the neighboring apartment.  “Olivia, go fix your makeup. James and I will stall for you.”

Olivia nodded, running into the back of the flat with her makeup bag as Q and James made their way to the door.

“We’re stalling for her?” James asked, eyebrow raised.

Q rolled his eyes, “I wanted to question the date _somehow._ ” He muttered.

James smirked, admiring his husband’s deviousness as they stepped into the hallway, looking at the young man in front of Olivia’s flat.

“Are you Nathan?”

The boy turned, looking at them, “Um…yeah?” He nodded hesitantly, “Um, I’m just here to pick up Olivia…”

“We know.” Q smiled, “She’s getting ready in our place. Her parents were working, so she enlisted the help of her gay uncles.”

James resisted the urge to laugh at Q’s blunt statement, instead he stared down the poor boy in front of them, “Why don’t you come in and wait for her?”

They all knew that while James had phrased it as a question, he was commanding the boy to come in. And the poor thing never stood a chance. He simply nodded, shuffling into the flat and nearly jumping when Q shut the door behind them.

“Is that her corsage?” Q asked, taking the small box from Nathan’s hand and examining the flower inside, “Hm…you know what color her dress is then.”

“You’ve even got a matching tie.” James added, tapping Nathan’s green tie. “Now enough of the small talk, why don’t we get to the point, shall we? Give me your wallet, Nathan.”

Nathan looked like a deer in the headlights, “My wallet, sir?”

James nodded, hand outstretched, “Yes Nathan. Hand me your wallet.”

The teen looked reluctant, but James was using the same glare he used on Czech assassins, the boy stood no chance. Hesitently, he removed his wallet from his pocket and placed it in James’s hand.

The 00 agent nodded, flicking the wallet open and thumbing through the contents. Finally he stopped, plucking out a single foil-wrapped condom. He held it up so Q could see it too.

Nathan blushed bright red, “My dad gave me that s-sir.” He bit his lip.

James raised an eyebrow, “Well you won’t be needing it tonight.”

“Of course not, sir.”

“Say it.”

“I-I won’t be needing it tonight…sir.”

Q was starting to feel bad for the teen. Though he had to give him credit: he was being grilled by a 00 agent with a license to kill…and he was only stuttering and sweating. _Not bad._

“Good to know we’re on the same page.” James smirked, “And since Olivia’s father isn’t here to say it, I will: you hurt Olivia, you make her cry, and I will _end you._ ”

“And I’ll be sure to cover it up.” Q added, “So we won’t get caught.”

Now the poor kid looked about ready to vomit. But before he could, Olivia emerged from fixing her makeup, “I am so sorry for making you wait, Nathan! I totally forgot to tell you I’d be at my uncles!”

“It’s alright. You look…beautiful…” Nathan croaked, “I got you this…” He muttered, retrieving the corsage from Q.

Olivia smiled brightly as Nathan placed corsage around her wrist, “It’s lovely!”

Q grabbed one of his cameras, “Smile, you two!”

And bless his heart if Nathan didn’t put on the best smile he could, considering what he had just gone through.

They were only able to take a few pictures before Olivia got impatient, “Come on, we’re late enough as it is!” She giggled, dragging Nathan towards the door, “Bye Uncle James, Uncle Q!”

The door slammed shut before Q or James could respond. There was silence as the teens left, marching their way down the stairs.

James nodded, looking at Q, “I like him.”

Q smiled, “He didn’t piss his pants.”


	6. The Nephew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up for Bondlock!
> 
> "I’ve got a prompt! 00Q and Johnlock. Okay Q is baby Holmes, John and Sherlock have a son, Hamish of course! Hamish goes to visit his Uncle Q and Olivia surprises her favorite gay uncles at the same time. Cute Olivia/Hamish! Love your writing! :D" —anon

“I can’t believe my brother managed to grow a biohazard in his flat!”

James looked up from his newspaper, “Really? I can totally see that happening. I’m just surprised that it didn’t happen sooner.”

“You know I can hear you, right Uncle James?”

Q and James looked over at Hamish, who was flicking through several of Q’s top security files, “Oh,” The teen added, “And this arms dealer has avoided detection because of a gender reassignment operation. You might want to look into that.”

The Quartermaster snatched the file from his nephew’s hand, “If anyone knew you had looked at those, you’d be as good as dead.”

Hamish gave his uncle a look, eyebrow arched elegantly. A trait that, unfortunately, reminded Q of Mycroft. “Like you’d order a hit on me. Or that Uncle Mycroft would allow it.” The teen shrugged, opening his suitcase and drawing out a different stack of files, “Thankfully, I was able to grab these before the quarantine.”

James rolled his eyes, “Your fathers are both in quarantine, and you grab their murder files.”

The teen raised an eyebrow, “Of course, I can’t be bored while I’m here, can I?”

Q shook his head, getting dinner ready. Sherlock was just lucky he and James were on leave for a bit and were able to watch over Hamish. Otherwise, the teen would have had to stay with Mycroft, and Sherlock would have crawled out of his skin if that happened. But as it was, neither Q nor James minded having Hamish for the weekend; he had enough of John’s influence that he wasn’t a _complete_ sociopath.

The front door of the flat opened with a slam, “It’s movie night!”

James nearly went for his gun before he saw the blonde coming through the door, “Olivia, maybe you shouldn’t kick the door open like that? You’ll scare Q.”

Both Q and Olivia rolled their eyes, “Come on, Uncle James, my arms were full!” Olivia laughed, holding up the movies and bags of snacks, “And it’s Friday! We can finally have our movie night!” She smiled, walking into the flat until she saw that she wasn’t the only teen in the room, “Uh…Did I miss something?”

Hamish barely spared Olivia a glance, looking over Sherlock’s murder files.

Q rolled his eyes, “Olivia, this is my nephew Hamish. He’ll be staying with us for a bit while his home is being…fumigated.”

“I didn’t know you had a nephew!” Olivia gasped, “You have family besides me?”

James chuckled, “Q doesn’t talk to his brothers much.” He nodded, taking Olivia’s things from her hands, “They can be…difficult.”

“Uncle James, I believe the word you’re looking for is “bastards.”” Hamish smirked, examining  photos of three decapitated bodies.

Olivia snorted, looking over Hamish’s shoulder, “Ooo, nasty stuff there.” She nodded, “You looking for ideas for Halloween decorations?”

Hamish frowned, “No, I’m trying to solve this triple murder.”

“Eww, gross!” She wrinkled her nose, “Someone would have to be pretty pissed to take three people’s heads like that.”

“Yes. Yes they would.” The corner of Hamish’s eye twitched, much to Q’s amusement.

Olivia nodded, “…Wanna watch the Halloween movies with me?”

* * *

 

“There’s no way that could possibly happen!”

“It’s a movie, Hamish, shut up!”

“They’re ignoring basic plot structure, I will _not_ shut up!”

James and Q never thought they’d see the day when Sherlock’s son would be engaged in a popcorn battle, let alone with Olivia. And though Q would fuss about the mess they were making later, for now, it was just surreal to see their nephew act like a normal teenage boy.

“You know,” James muttered as Olivia managed to throw a piece of popcorn in Hamish’s open mouth (he had been mid-deduction). “If those two _do_ get together, we really would be Olivia’s uncles.” 


	7. The Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well people asked for it, so here is Olivia and Hamish's wedding!

_Randall & Julie Chase and John &Sherlock Holmes   
Invite you to celebrate in the marriage of their children_

_Olivia Naomi Chase and Hamish Watson Holmes_

“Oh God…” Q  rest his head on James’s chest as he read over the invitation once more, “I’m not sure if I want to laugh or cry.”

A sniff came from James, “You laugh. I think I’ve got crying covered.”

Q looked up at his husband, who was trying his best to blink away tears, “Oh James…” He wanted to laugh, but it was just so damn heartwarming to watch.

“Damnit…” James wiped his eyes, “I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry.”

“James, we haven’t even gotten to the actual wedding yet.”

“Don’t fucking remind me.”

* * *

 

It was odd, Q always imagined that he would be seated besides his brothers when it came time for his nephew’s wedding, but he and James both agreed that they would sit on Olivia’s side of the chapel for the ceremony.

Besides, it wasn’t like Hamish cared either way. Q was still shocked that Olivia had talked Hamish into having a traditional ceremony, but then again, this _was_ the girl (woman, he had to remind himself) who could talk James into having a Disney marathon with her.

Hamish was even wearing a tux, good for him, even if he did look a bit bored standing at the altar (damn Sherlock and his genes, even if they _were_ technically Q’s genes too).

But when the organ began to play “Here Comes the Bride” and the back doors of the chapel opened to reveal Olivia being escorted by her father, all eyes were on her. Even though she was no longer a little girl and was now a grown woman, Q still thought Olivia looked absolutely adorable in her tea length dress and kitten heels.

Honestly, he never would have guessed that Olivia would have been Hamish’s type (if Hamish could be considered one to have a “type”). Then again, he had never guessed either of his brothers would settle down, and look how _that_ turned out.

Q took the chance to look over at his nephew. Hamish was watching Olivia (they all were, after all), and Q could see a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Hamish might not have been one for expressing himself much in public (another Holmes trait), but Q had seem him and Olivia together enough to know that tiny smile on Hamish’s face might as well as been a grin.

Besides, Olivia seemed to be smiling big enough for the both of them. The entire ceremony, she seemed to be bubbling with pure joy. Q couldn’t help but chuckle; now _that_ was the little girl he and James watched grow up.

The couple had barely been pronounced husband and wife before Olivia grabbed Hamish by his lapels and pulled him in for a fierce kiss.

Now _that_ was something she must have picked up from James.

* * *

 

“Come on Hamish!”

It was astonishing really, how compliant Hamish was being towards all of Olivia’s whims. Q could remember quite clearly how many instances in which Hamish had made scathing remarks about “sentiment” and pointless rituals.

But even as his nephew was being tugged out onto the dance floor to have his first dance as a married man, Q could see that Hamish was putting on a good show for Olivia. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe his nephew had learned a few things about relationships from his fathers, such as doing things for your spouse, simply because it makes them happy.

“I guess it’s official.” James chuckled, wrapping his arm around Q’s waist, “We’re her uncles now.”

“We always were.” Q smiled, watching the two waltz (now _that_ he knew Hamish had learned just for the occasion) around the dance floor. “Ever since she locked herself out of her flat.”

“And made me make her cocoa.” James smiled softly, pressing a kissed to Q’s temple, “She’s all grown up now.”

Q nodded slowly, resisting the urge to cry.

As the song ended, Olivia stepped away from Hamish, kissing his cheek before making her way over to the table where James and Q were sitting, “Come on, you two!”

“Olivia, what are you doing?” Q chuckled, standing slowly.

“We’re going to dance of course!” Olivia smiled, eyes sparkling brightly.

James raised an eyebrow, “With both of us?”

“Of course.” She nodded, “How could I possibly miss dancing with the men who raised me?”


	8. Bonus: Hannukah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can we have James and Qcelebrating Hanukkah with Jewish Olivia whose parents are gone for the night? --anon

Both James and Q were home for the evening, which was a rare moment in and of itself.

So when Q heard the door to their flat open and shut, he knew it was Olivia. “I take it your parents are working late tonight, Olivia?”

A blonde head peaked over the couch, “Uhuh…” Olivia nodded, scampering around to Q’s armchair, “Um…”

Q looked at Olivia, then set down the book he was reading, “Is something the matter, Olivia?”

The little girl looked shy, which was odd considering how bold Olivia usually was, before looking up at Q, “Could you help me light the shamash? I’ve already got all the candles all set up in the _Hanukkiah.”_

Q blinked, staring at Olivia, “I’m sorry Olivia, I don’t understand…”

Olivia huffed, grabbing Q’s hand, “I’ll show you!”

As the young girl pulled Q from his seat, James came out of the bedroom. When he raised an eyebrow at the scene before him, Q simply rolled his eyes, “Come on James, we’re going on an adventure apparently.”

The two men followed Olivia into her family’s flat. It wasn’t the first time the two had visited the Chase residence, but it was the first time they did when Olivia was home alone. And the flat looked slightly different than it usually did. Specifically the candelabra that was perched in the large window sill of the living room.

James stopped, “I didn’t know you were Jewish, Olivia.” He looked down at the small blonde leading Q to the window.

Q nodded, “That’s quite a nice menorah your family has.”

Olivia giggled, “It’s a _Hanukkiah_ , it has nine branches.” She pointed, “See?”

“I do,” James chuckled, “So you needed us to help you light the candles, Olivia?”

“Mhm.” Olivia made her way over to the window sill, picking up a lighter, “Daddy doesn’t want me to light them without help.”

James nodded, “That’s smart of your dad.” He knelt by Olivia, “So you want us to help you light the meno- the _Hanukkiah?_ ”

Olivia nodded, handing the lighter to James, “Just light the shamash,” She smiled,  tapping to the center candle, positioned higher than the rest, “I can light the rest of tonight’s candles.”

The 00 agent looked curiously at Q, who smiled, “Go on James, you won’t burn down the flat.”

James rolled his eyes, flicking the lighter on and holding the flame to the center candle. When the wick caught flame, Olivia took James’s hand away from the candle and set the extinguished lighter down. She picked up the candle, the shamash, from its place and carefully brought it over to the candle on the far end.

As she lit the candles, James and Q could hear her singing softly.

_“Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam_

_asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu_

_l'had'lik neir shel Chanukah. Amein”_

Q smiled softly as Olivia returned the shamash to its place, “That was lovely, Olivia.”

Olivia smiled brightly, “Daddy usually sings the blessing, but I’ve been learning.”

“I’m sure he’d have love to hear you sing it.” James nodded, standing up, “What do you usually do now?”

“Well,” Olivia pondered, “We usually play dreidel after we talk about the story of Hanukkah.”

James and Q looked at each other. Well, it wasn’t like they had a busy evening planned between them. And even if they did…

“You know,” James replied, “I don’t think I’ve ever played dreidel before.”

“And I don’t think I’ve ever heard the story of Hanukkah.” Q added.

Olivia beamed, grabbing both of their hands, “I can tell you all about Hanukkah and the Maccabees while we play dreidel!” She laughed, pulling them towards the table, “And later, we can make latkes to eat!”

While Olivia eagerly began to gather all the things they would need for the evening, James looked at Q, “Happy Hanukkah, Q.”

Q smiled, “Happy Hanukkah, James.”


	9. Bonus: The Most Beautiful Woman in the World

They like to joke and say James is on a date with the most beautiful woman in the world. It’s an inside joke between them, James would often text or call Q while he was in Q branch to let him know what he was planning to do with his day.

Q would often smile whenever he heard that James was spending his day with Olivia. He had never imagined that James would retire, let alone retire early. But honestly, he was glad.

It meant that James didn’t get himself killed in action. And it meant there was someone who would always be home for Olivia if she needed either of them.

Of course, Olivia was at the age when her favorite hobby was shopping. So more often than not, James ended up accompanying Olivia to the shopping mall. But James didn’t mind, in fact, he seemed to enjoy helping her pick out clothes and even paying for some of them (apparently, retired 00 agents got a very impressive pension, more than James could imagine spending on himself).

There were several occasions when Q would receive pictures of Olivia in a new outfit. Another thing about having James shopping with Olivia, he was always sure that whatever Olivia bought would be tasteful and flattering.

Deep down, Q had his suspicions of why James was so protective of Olivia. All of his career of being a 00 agent, James had seen more than his fair share of women caught up in the darker side of life (and he had seduced more women than he could count).

Now, James had found a woman whose innocence he wanted to protect.

Q smiled softly at the picture on his phone. Olivia was getting some winter clothing, so she had gotten a new peacoat, scarf and hat. Of course, he also suspected that the boots she was wearing in the picture were new as well, courtesy of James, of course.

“What are you smiling at, Q?” Eve smiled softly.

“Oh,” Q chuckled, “Just James on his date.”

Eve looked alarmed, which reminded Q that she wasn’t aware of James and Q’s little joke.

“It’s not a real date, James isn’t having an affair.” Q smiled softly, showing Eve the picture.

As Eve looked at the picture of Olivia, Q realized that after so many years, he and James had _never_ mentioned her to anyone in MI6.

“A teenager?” Eve raised an eyebrow, “I take it there’s a story behind this?”

“She’s our neighbor, we watched her grow up.” Q nodded, accepting his phone when Eve handed it back, “Her parents worked a lot and were always on call, so our door was always open to her.”

Eve chuckled, “I have trouble imagining James as someone who would be good with children.”

Q smiled softly, “Well, it’s quite the story…”


	10. Bonus: James Bond, Househusband

The first time Q sees James cleaning, he isn’t quite sure what to make of it. It wasn’t like James had never cleaned before, he wasn’t a slob, but there was a difference between cleaning and _cleaning_.

Like the difference between picking up after oneself and getting on your hands and knees, scrubbing the grout of the kitchen tile floors.

But Q had reasoned that James was trying to find new ways to fill his time. After all, retirement didn’t suit everyone (though Q was glad James had opted for retirement and not the more…lethal alternative). So Q didn’t comment.

The first time James had packed Q a lunch for him to take to work, Q hadn’t known what to say, other than “thank you.” He didn’t exactly know what kind of cook James was. Oh sure, he could follow directions on a recipe, but then again, couldn’t everyone?

Of course, after his homemade lunch, Q learned that James was an incredible cook.

The lunches (or dinners, depending on when Q was called in to work) became routine after that.

The first time Q had come home to find James cooking dinner for Olivia, complete with apron and a cookbook on the counter, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“When did I get a house-husband?” He teased James, kissing his cheek.

James rolled his eyes, “Well I have to find ways to spend my time somehow.” He chuckled, “And now there’s always someone here in case Olivia gets locked out.”

Olivia sat at the table, smiling at them both, “It’s nice having James home more often.”

“And do you help him do the cooking and cleaning?” Q asked, amused.

The teen wrinkled her nose, “Cooking, yeah, but cleaning…”

“Her own room is a disaster, there’s no way I’d let her clean our flat.” James replied, plating up dinner, “Alright, let’s see how this cordon bleu turned out!”

Q snorted, “You made chicken cordon bleu?”

“Yes.”

Well there was no reply for that now, was there?

And yes, the dinner was delicious.

“Can I have some more?” Olivia asked.

James looked at her plate, “After you finish your vegetables.”

Of course, that resulted in Q laughing so hard he stopped breathing.


End file.
